St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman holds the World Series trophy over his head following a 6-2 win over the Texas Rangers during Game 7 Friday, October 28, 2011 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Mo.. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)

SURPRISE, Ariz. — This was manager Ron Washington’s reaction when he heard his club had signed Lance Berkman two months ago.

“Veteran. Professional. Champion. Man of respect.”

This was my reaction.

“Seriously? That’s Josh Hamilton’s replacement?”

Maybe it’s a simple case of spring training optimism, but I think — as sometimes happens in matters of baseball — Washington’s initial reaction was better than my assessment.

Here’s what I was thinking: Hamilton hit 43 home runs in 2012. Berkman hit two.

And yet the notion of replacing the Rangers’ premier slugger the last five seasons with a guy who was thinking about coaching hitters at Rice University this year is not so far-fetched.

“I’m not even thinking about Josh Hamilton,” Washington said Friday. “I feel like Lance Berkman is my No. 3 hitter.”

You don’t have to travel too far back in time to think how this might make sense. Try the 2011 World Series. Berkman hit better than .400 (11-for-26) with one huge home run in Game 6.

Calf and knee injuries in 2012 limited him to 32 games with the Cardinals. After 14 seasons, 360 home runs and six All-Star Games, Berkman pondered retirement and that not-so-lucrative coaching position at his alma mater.

Then the Rangers came calling with that $10 million offer to replace Hamilton on Washington’s lineup card.

“I think I would have been OK if I hadn’t played. For the most part, I feel like I’ve had a good career. I’m pretty satisfied with what I’ve been able to accomplish in this game,” Berkman said.

“I look at this as a blessing. It’s a very high compliment they’ve paid me. I consider [Jon Daniels] an astute GM, and this is a very good organization … but probably half of baseball thinks they’re crazy to think I can hit third.”

Let’s start with what’s not so crazy. A semi-healthy Berkman is not so different from the semi-healthy Hamilton this team has featured.

Over the last five seasons, Berkman’s OPS (on base-plus slugging — the single most defining offensive stat in the game) was .913. Sixth in the majors.

Hamilton’s .912 over that span ranked eighth.

While Hamilton hit for more power (142 home runs to Berkman’s 101), playing home games in Arlington certainly aided his numbers. And Berkman made up for some of that difference with superior on-base percentage. As a two-strike hitter, it’s not even close, with Berkman batting 57 points higher with men in scoring position.

Drawing walks, working counts — these are Berkman’s strengths, whereas Hamilton is a hit-or-miss free swinger.

On top of that, Berkman loves trying to educate the younger Rangers in the ways of the game.

“I get the biggest enjoyment from helping the other guys,” Berkman said. “I’ve been around great pitchers, great base runners. Even if I can’t do those things, I have a wealth of knowledge to pass along.”

Berkman’s walk in the fourth inning Friday would have been his fifth of the spring, but the game with Milwaukee was rained out after four innings. As it stands, he’s hitting .250 (3-for-12) with four walks and one home run.

The season opener is three weeks away, yet you can already see that the Rangers’ Berkman is leaner and healthier than the Berkman who played for the Yankees in 2010 or the Cardinals a year ago.

No one player is going to replace Hamilton’s left-handed power. But Berkman’s ability to get on base from both sides of the plate may help provide cleanup hitter Adrian Beltre with more RBI opportunities than he has ever had in Texas.

“I think we’ve still got some power,” Daniels said. “It’s not going to be a 1980s National League lineup we’re putting out there. We knew going in with Lance the only question would be his health.”

So far, so good.

It’s early March, I realize. But for the last five seasons, the Rangers have lived — and mostly thrived — with about 130 games a year from their No. 3 hitter. There’s no real reason to think that Berkman can’t keep delivering on that expectation.

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About Tim Cowlishaw

Tim Cowlishaw has been The Dallas Morning News' lead sports columnist since July 1998. Prior to that he covered the Cowboys for six seasons and the Stars for three as a beat reporter. He also covered the Rangers as a backup beat writer and was the San Jose Mercury News' beat writer on the San Francisco Giants in the late 1980s.

Tim has been appearing regularly on ESPN"s "Around the Horn" since the show made its debut in November 2002. He also worked with ESPN as part of the network's "NASCAR Now" coverage in 2007-08.

Favorite Dallas restaurants: Park, Nick and Sam's, Kenichi.

Worst sports prediction: His first in college ... that Earl Campbell had no shot at the Heisman Trophy.

Best sports memories: Seeing the Dallas Stars hoist the Stanley Cup long after midnight in Buffalo, watching the Dallas Cowboys win the Super Bowl and Texas win the national title in perfect Rose Bowl settings.